Tag: rice

Smoke and mirrors mask dire situation surrounding rice prices as elections loom

May 21, 2024 Ramon Ortoll No Comments

Most political analysts describe former President Rodrigo Duterte as a populist but he wasn’t close to being one when it came to economic policies which he left to his finance secretary to set. The Rice Tarrification Law (RTL) was passed to put an end to rice subsidies and corruption at the National Food Authority (NFA)…

Economy

What the Islamic terrorist invasion of Israel means to Filipinos

October 10, 2023 benign0 4 Comments

As Filipinos generally see the world through the lens of their renowned national self-absorption (“Oh no! How many OFWs will be impacted by the events in Israel!”), it is probably best that recent events in the Middle East be processed through the lens of what all that means for the Philippines. This is easy. The…

Economy, Lifestyle

Rappler “economist” @JCPunongbayan is growing up!

September 9, 2019September 9, 2019 benign0 10 Comments

First it was high prices and “galloping inflation” — something the Philippines’ community of snowflake “activists” screeched about. Now everybody’s panties are in a knot over crashing rice prices at the farmgate. So what is really behind the movement of prices? Just last year, resident economics “expert” JC Punongbayan fixated on the nuances in the…

Economy, Education

Basic principles of inflation explained for dummies

October 21, 2018 Ilda 24 Comments

So-called “investigative” journalist Raissa Robles had a laugh at my Twitter post the other day about Philippine inflation. She wasn’t specific about why she thought I didn’t know what I was talking about though and I never got the chance to ask since she blocked me. What’s up with people like that? They block others…

Economy

The increase in rice prices is not an act of God nor is it an act of Duterte

September 19, 2018 benign0 48 Comments

The “debate” around the best short-term solution to combat the rise of the prices of rice mirrors the overall flaw in the traditional “activist” rhetoric. Shrill communist and Opposition “activists” want lower prices (supposedly empathising with the kawawa naman poor). Yet they cannot reconcile this cry for cheap rice with the plight of the farmers…

Economy

Senator Cynthia Villar is correct: Eating too much rice is bad for the health

June 16, 2017June 16, 2017 Ilda 38 Comments

Philippine Senator Cynthia Villar drew some flak for suggesting that Filipinos limit their rice consumption. She thinks banning “unlimited rice” (or “unli-rice”) offerings in restaurants would be a good start. It was a preposterous idea, some say. “Who is she to tell us how much rice we eat?”, others asked in disgust. Then there were…

Culture, Lifestyle

The Aquino name is now synonymous with the word ‘massacre’ #BigasHindiBala

April 2, 2016April 3, 2016 Ilda 35 Comments

Philippine President Benigno Simeon Aquino’s term will now go down in history as the massacre years. If Aquino supporters can blame all atrocities committed by members of the military and police on the late former President Ferdinand Marcos during the Martial Law years, then it is only fair that Filipinos blame the atrocities committed by…

Crime, Economy, Government

The First World can’t help the Third World because they don’t understand Third World poverty

November 4, 2014November 4, 2014 benign0 48 Comments

Q: What do the conflicts in the Middle East, pestilence in Africa, and chronic poverty in the Philippines have in common? A: The West’s insistence that it can “help” the Third World. How many more times will the West’s intervention in the Third World end in disaster? Many more times — because the First World…

Culture, Development, Economy, Lifestyle, Society, Technology